The Only Way
by Middle-Eight-Bridge
Summary: In which Sebastian is given a meticulous task that calls for help. Elizabeth's friend has been possessed by a demon. Someone answers Sebastian's call, but will they end up in their own demon problems?
1. A Bittersweet Victory

The blood-curling screams ricocheted through the mansion's dark, hollow corridors. Elizabeth's friend, Mabel, lie writhing on the floor. The twelve-year-old girl had run into the wrong crowd, a cult that had successfully invoked a demon; a demon that was currently possessing her. A few words were exchanged between butler and master before Ciel nodded toward Sebastian and put an arm around his crying fiancé, escorting her out of the room. Already knowing Ciel's wishes, Sebastian closed his eyes and concentrated; mentally reaching out to anyone willing to listen on the astral plane.

In an instant, the eavesdropper had materialized. In a flux of feathers, the angel appeared to the demon. He was in stark contrast to him, his fair hair fell in loosely reaching past his shoulder-blades and his eyes a torrent of blue; he was also at least five inches shorter than his demonic counterpart. Sebastian's expression was amused.

"In need of assistance?" he asked.

"A bit unheard of, but yes. I find myself in need of some supporting spiritual energy."

Sebastian could tell he was a relatively new spirit; an experienced angel on their own would stay ten thousand leagues away from a predatory demon like himself. Not only that, but he could tell by his aura that his adult form was forced… on the astral plane he would surely appear younger. Even so he also lacked a healthy angelic glow or sun-kissed complexion, betraying his neutrality almost similar to those of the grim reapers. Too unbiased to serve his in-born cause, but too fluffy for hell or reaper duties; his off-white shroud further reflected this. At least he was chalk-full of the potential power the demon required.

The angel glanced at the tortured girl on the floor and Sebastian sensed his need for reassurance.

"This is the only way to save her, you see," he explained simply.

He knew the devil was right.

"You agree not to consume her soul?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing appetizing about another demon eating her from the inside out, I merely ask for a power boost in freeing her."

There was a pause to consider the situation.

"Done," he replied curtly as he relinquished his wings and began to pour his consecrated energy into him.

Sebastian felt the hand on his shoulder and channeled the energy and began the excruciating process of prying the other demon's grip from the poor soul. The angel could endure the first several minutes, but past that things began to get fuzzier and fuzzier. Soon he was seeing double, his equilibrium thrown off enough bring him to his knees; his hand loosely gripping the other's slacks, still attempting to transfer his power.

The butler quickly became aware of the angel's current state. His eyes narrowed, disgusted at the creature's weakness. His perseverance was admirable, but he lacked in actual power. One last deafening shriek and the deed was done. Sebastian felt the seraph slide further onto the floor; a dull thud and he was out, his grip on the demon's ankle going limp.

He swept across the polished floor and gathered the corpse in his arms before stepping outside to report to his master of their bittersweet success. Ciel comforted a traumatized Elizabeth before moving to call the authorities as his butler excused himself to "clean up". The demon returned to the room of the collapsed angel, standing over his lifeless body.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he was free from doing the ethical approach. The winged messenger was as neutral as any soul reaper, but by class he was a sworn enemy. Still, every angel had a choir. Whether they had fallen into neutrality or not they would avenge him, and he'd rather not be pestered by an entire _legion_ during his current contract.

Even so, he could not just leave an immortal being just lying on the Persian rug.

With another loathing glare, he collected the angel with one hand under the knees, the other around the shoulders, wilted arms dangling, the torso gently tucked against his chest. At least he was completely drained of energy at this point. Channeling it was certainly not the most pleasant of sensations… the essence left an overall searing sensation while being converted, but he was well-rehearsed in masking pain with a calm smile.

_And he was well-rehearsed in hiding unbridled revulsion._

The butler presented the creature to Ciel, explaining the situation before being given the orders to put the celestial in the guest bedroom. Sebastian followed orders despite the angel's repulsing aura starting to grow back. By the time he was placing the angel on the bed his mouth had twisted into a snarl. He was so weak and defenseless in this state, and it tempted the demon.

Before he did anything irrational he tore himself away from the bedside, away from the guest room, away from that particular wing of the mansion. Unfortunately because Sebastian had channeled his energy the angel's aura would linger on him like a scent for weeks. He was certain by the time the angel had regained consciousness he would be gone, which angered him even more that it wasn't that easy to get rid of the damn thing's actual _essence _on himself. The last thing he would need is to be sensed by another spiritual being wearing Ode de Angel.

What a horrid day this was becoming.

_Okay, so… should I continue? This was based off a dream so it doesn't go much further than this, Imight be able to get another chapter out of this before I'd have to start making shit up… all it takes is one review for me to continue. _


	2. Feathered Friend

The angel slowly regained consciousness in the posh, Victorian guest bedroom, still considerably groggy from being completely depleted of energy several hours before. He sat up on the bed as the memories started pouring back. Not only had he assisted a demon in mercy-killing an innocent little girl, but he had fallen unconscious, making himself completely vulnerable to the untrustworthy predator. That hit him pretty hard, silently seething in the bed as he came to grips with how stupid he had just been. It was almost too much effort to be angry in his drowsy state, but he was able to manage. Still, it was probably a _waste _of energy; energy he could use to escape undetected… Then again merely entertaining that kind of idea was overly optimistic at this point. Not in his current condition, so he stayed angry.

He noticed throughout his little nap he had slipped out of his ceremonial form, a trick to make the demon think he was much older than what he was, but now he possessed the body of a fifteen-year-old boy. Despite being fifteen _hundred _years old, which was still fairly young in angel terms, he appeared to be only a year or two older than the boy the demon had made a contract with. The angel realized he was at a critical disadvantage at this point, he had to get away. Quietly he slipped out of the bed and headed over to the large, arched window, wracking his brain for an escape plan.

"Leaving so soon?"

The angel's head snapped to reveal a familiar demon at the guest bedroom's threshold. Ciel had sent him to clean up after their visitor, Sebastian having made it sound like the celestial would be long-gone by now, but he had been wrong. The demon noticed the other looked around five years younger now. That explained a lot about why he was still here. The situation was tempting Sebastian yet again.

"I do not want trouble, I just want to be on my way. The girl was put out of her misery, so I am not needed anymore," he spoke rather quickly, betraying his nervousness.

Sebastian fed into the nervousness and locked eyes with him like a cat would a bird.

"Well, my feathered friend, I am afraid I simply _cannot_ let you leave."

"And why not?" the angel's heart sank, wondering if he was going to make it out of this alive now.

The demon advanced toward the angel, grabbing the other's golden hair with a gloved hand and pulling firmly.

"Because that would take the fun out of everything…"

The butler reached out and grabbed a hold of a thin wrist, pulling the other closer. The boy flinches lightly at being dragged. The other gloved hand pressed fingers against the angel's chest, the cold black tendrils spreading onto his victim's skin. He hisses sharply, squirming and trying to get out of his grip.

After a bit more thrashing he settles down, trying to concentrate on his breathing. Sebastian waited for the other to stop squirming before he shifted and in a flash was pinning him onto the bed. Focusing just a little bit, he made more of an effort to stain the little angel with black magic. He wanted to taint that porcelain skin.

The boy hisses as the blackness is pushed on him again, starting to get an adrenaline rush from all of the panic. But alas, the extra boost was all in vain. The demon was just too powerful for the angel. It spread from chest to neck and all the way down past his ribs.

Soft cries of pain; nails digging into the bed sheets.

Sebastian pulled his hand back as the magic took hold, staring for a moment as it writhed about on the angel's skin, greedily trying to seep into as much of the teen as possible. The tendrils finally slow and nearly stop at the top of his hip and the tip of his chin. The boy seemed winded and still in a great deal of pain. The demon trailed his fingers over the other's now-pitch black torso, feeling the potency of the dark magic engrained in him.

"Your name?"

"_What?_"

"Your name, _sir_."

"K-karael."

"_Karael_," the demon butler cooed, "I have a little offer for you."

They locked eyes; pained gaze meeting a cold, sadistic one.

"Go on."

"Your skin is absorbing a _considerable_ amount of Nightshade magic, now there are two ways this can go."

There was a small pause before he continued.

"You could simply let it slowly erase you, _or_… you could choose life, and allow me to change you into a demon."

"What would be in it for you?" Karael hissed.

"A personal servant, I suppose," he said with a grin.

"You're the one dressed like a butler."

"I _am_ a butler in this world, which means you will just have to work on a higher frequency: something even an angel such as you should be able to manage with ease."

Karael gritted his teeth as his mind swam, trying in vain to think of a third option.


End file.
